james beard foundation

Spring is in the air, and that's evident with the number of fun food events going on this week that pay homage to everything from rum to crawfish.

We can't wait to taste our way through the year's best wines at Wine Enthusiast's annual Toast of the Town, and taste tequila cocktails made by SF's top mixologists at the Nirvino Mixology Contest.

What events will you be eating your way through this week?

• Seattle, WA: StarChefs Rising Stars Revue — Mar. 24
• Coral Gables, FL: Coral Gables Wine & Food Festival — Mar. 26
• San Francisco, CA: Wine Enthusiast Toast of the Town — Mar. 26
• Tampa Bay, FL: International Rum Festival — Mar. 26-28
• Chalmette, LA: Louisiana Crawfish Festival — Mar. 26-29
• Lake Tahoe, CA: Winter & Wine Fest — Mar. 26-29
• West Palm Beach, FL: Metropolitan Cooking & Entertaining Show — Mar. 26-29

To see the rest, read more

Last month, we introduced you to the semifinalists for the 2009 James Beard Awards. This morning, the short list of final nominees was unveiled, and the winners of the awards — nicknamed the "Oscars of the food world" — will be revealed at an awards gala at Manhattan's Lincoln Center on May 4. In addition to the highly anticipated nominations for outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, and outstanding restaurant, among others, the foundation's other honors — in cookbooks, newspaper writing, restaurant design, and blogs — were also announced.

Did any of your favorite chefs and restaurants make the list? View the all the nominations, or check out a summary of some of the biggest award nominees when you read more

We're officially in the throes of awards show season — and that isn't limited to the entertainment industry. This morning, the James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for its 2009 awards. On March 23, the short list of complete nominees will be unveiled, and the honorable achievements — often referred to as the "Oscars of the food world" — will be presented at an awards gala on May 4 at Manhattan's Lincoln Center.

Semifinalist names were announced for the following categories: outstanding restaurateur, outstanding chef, outstanding restaurant, best new restaurant, rising star chef of the year, outstanding pastry chef, outstanding wine service, outstanding wine and spirits professional, outstanding service, and best chef for the following regions: Pacific, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Great Lakes, New York City, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, Southwest, and South. This list doesn't include a good portion of the other James Beard Foundation's awards, including its cookbooks, newspaper articles, restaurant design, and blog awards, which are yet to be unveiled.

Although there are a number of celebrity chefs (Tom Colicchio, Dan Barber, José Andrés) as well as blockbuster restaurants on the list — Momofuku Ko, Scarpetta, and L20 — I also spotted a bunch of new names. Scan the 19-page list and tell me if any of your favorites have been included. Were any notable ones left off?

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This week's events have left me curious: Exactly what activities does one partake in at a Pig Stein? Or a Yambilee? If you have attended these in the past, I'd love to know. Will anyone be at the James Beard Foundation's Taste America in Las Vegas?

If you know something we've left out, please leave a message in the comments below!

• Las Vegas, NV: Rising Stars Las Vegas — Oct. 21
• Torrance, CA: Oktoberfest at Alpine Village — Oct. 21-26
• San Francisco, CA: Joy of Sake San Francisco — Oct. 23
• Atlanta, GA: Celebrity Chef Tour Atlanta — Oct. 23
• Portland, ME: Harvest on the Harbor — Oct. 23-25
• Mountain View, AR: Arkansas Bean Fest — Oct. 23-25
• Kohler, WI: Kohler Food & Wine Experience — Oct. 23-26
• Opelousas, LA: Louisiana Yambilee — Oct. 23-26
• Las Vegas, NV: The James Beard Foundation's Taste America Las Vegas — Oct. 24-26

To see the rest, read more

• This Fourth of July treat your children to these fun firecracker cupcakes. — Noble Pig
• Do you remember these retro classic cereal boxes? — Sun-Sentinel
• The James Beard Foundation just released the results to their first ever State of American Cuisine survey. — Eater SF
• Vegetarian cheese beignets are an easy-to-make, delicious appetizer. — GlamDish
• How to soften butter quickly for baking. — The Kitchn
• Have you noticed these new milk cartons? Apparently they make it much easier to spill milk. — Slashfood
• After reading about this clam digging party, I really want to host my own clam digging adventure! — Hands on Gourmet
• Giada de Laurentiis speaks about motherhood and cooking with her baby daughter. — MSNBC

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